Ready-to-eat cereal flakes and process for making same

Abstract

The present invention relates to ready-to-eat cereal flakes having edible particulate matter embedded therein and attached thereto, as well as a process for preparing said cereal flakes. More specifically, the present invention comprises a ready-to-eat cereal flake comprising cooked cereal grain and edible particulate matter embedded therein in a substantially uniform manner; a ready-to-eat cereal flake having edible particulate matter embedded therein and additionally having edible particulate matter attached to the surface of said flake; and processes for preparing such ready-to-eat cereal flakes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for preparing ready-to-eat cereal flakes having edible particulate matter embedded therein, said process comprising: (a) preparing a dry mix comprising cereal grain and a plasticizer;   (b) introducing the dry mix and water into an initial cooking and forming step under conditions sufficient to produce a cooked cereal dough product;   (c) introducing edible particulate matter and the cooked cereal dough product into a secondary forming step under conditions sufficient to form a secondary cereal dough product having edible particulate matter embedded therein; and   (d) converting the secondary cereal dough product into flakes.   
     
     
       2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the initial cooking and forming step is carried out in a twin-screw initial extruder and the secondary forming step is carried out in a separate, single-screw forming extruder. 
     
     
       3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the cereal grain in the dry mix comprises oat cereal grain and wheat cereal grain and wherein the plasticizer is sucrose. 
     
     
       4. A process according to claim 3 wherein the dry mix comprises from about 40% to about 60% by weight oat cereal grain, from about 35% to about 55% by weight wheat cereal grain, and from about 1% to about 10% by weight sucrose. 
     
     
       5. A process according to claim 4 wherein the amount of water added to the initial cooking and forming step is in the range of from about 3% to about 36% by weight of the total dry mix. 
     
     
       6. A process according to claim 5 wherein the throughput of the initial extruder is in the range of from about 22.5 to about 2,720 kilograms cooked cereal dough product per hour, and the dry mix/water mixture is cooked in the initial extruder at a temperature of from about 120 degrees C. to about 205 degrees C. for a period of from about 15 seconds to about 75 seconds. 
     
     
       7. A process according to claim 6 wherein from about 0.10 to about 0.40 kg. edible particulate matter per kg. cooked cereal dough product is added to the forming extruder. 
     
     
       8. A process according to claim 7 wherein the cooked cereal dough product/edible particulate matter mixture in the forming extruder is maintained at a temperature of from about 25 degrees C. to about 100 degrees C. for a period of from about 0.5 to about 5 minutes. 
     
     
       9. A process according to claim 8 wherein the edible particulate matter is selected from granola, fruit and fruit pieces, dehydrated fruit and fruit pieces, raw oat particles, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       10. A process according to claim 9 wherein the secondary cereal dough product has a moisture content of from about 18% to about 30% by weight. 
     
     
       11. A process according to claim 10 wherein the pellets are conveyed to the flaking step via pneumatic conveyance. 
     
     
       12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the flakes resulting from the flaking step have a thickness in the range of from about 0.10 mm to about 0.65 mm. 
     
     
       13. A process according to claim 12 wherein the flakes are toasted in an oven at a temperature in the range of from about 120 degrees C. to about 260 degrees C. for a period of time ranging from about 0.2 minutes to about 15 minutes. 
     
     
       14. A process according to claim 13 wherein the flakes are subjected to an enrobing process following toasting and then dried, said enrobing process comprising coating said flakes with a syrup to form a substantially continuous and discrete film thereon. 
     
     
       15. A process according to claim 14 wherein the flakes are subjected to an enrobing process following toasting and prior to drying, said enrobing process comprising coating the surface of said flakes with edible particulate matter and a vehicle for attaching said particulate matter to the flake surface. 
     
     
       16. A process according to claim 15 wherein the edible particulate matter attached to the flake surface comprises granola, fruit and fruit pieces, dehydrated fruit and fruit pieces, raw oat particles, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       17. A process according to claim 16 wherein the vehicle for attaching said edible particulate matter to said flake comprises a syrup comprising from about 20% to about 40% by weight water, from about 40% to about 60% by weight sweetener, from about 1.0% to about 2.5% by weight salt and from about 0.01% to about 0.10% by weight flavoring agents. 
     
     
       18. A ready-to-eat cereal flake having edible particulate matter embedded therein prepared by the process comprising: (a) preparing a dry mix comprising cereal grain and a plasticizer;   (b) introducing the dry mix and water into an initial cooking and forming step under conditions sufficient to produce a cooked cereal dough product;   (c) introducing edible particulate matter and the cooked cereal dough product into a secondary forming step under conditions sufficient to form a secondary cereal dough product having edible particulate matter embedded therein in a substantially uniform manner; and   (d) converting the secondary cereal dough product into flakes having edible particulate matter embedded therein in a substantially uniform manner.